Four Hacker Projects Unlock Traktor’s Remix Decks

Just two weeks ago, we ran a story on the absence of MIDI controls for the Remix Decks in Traktor’s then-upcoming 2.5 release. We immediately noticed in the comments on that article a number of our community members were primed and ready to start hacking their way in – and just a few days after the release, we’re ready to update you on the lastest developments, with four different projects that have arisen to control the Remix Decks.

MIDI FIGHTER 3D

After only a week with the 2.5 software out, DJTT ninjas have managed to find a way to connect Midi Fighter 3D directly to the Remix Decks for full clip control, including RGB color display. The video above is our first proof of concept, with clip launching and color display working and natively supported (HID, without any mappings). Over the next two weeks we will finalize the integration and release a public firmware so all 3D owners can:

Control all four Remix Decks with one Midi Fighter 3D

Scroll through clip banks using the side buttons

Launch all 16 clips in each bank

Mute and unmute decks

and potentially:

Engage effects using the motion tracking

Get VU-style clip meters feedback on each button

Remap the motion controls or side buttons to other settings in MIDI while also using the HID clip launching

Look for an announcement and free download of a new Midi Fighter Utility that will enable these features in about one month.

IOS LEMUR MAPPING

Got Liine’s Lemur app running on an iPad or iPhone? DJTT forum member Forevernow has built a template that works to control the Remix Decks. It’s still a work in progress, but the full functionality is there!

What Works:

Full playback from Lemur app for all 64 samples (all four pages)

Levels and filters and full control of the slot parameters for each slot player

Record loops from playing deck or sampler (first row only)

Change gate/latch mode (first row only)

What’s Messy:

Layout dependent – different resolutions and layouts will cause conflicts

Editor’s Note: Rainer from Traktor Bible has also been working on a very extensive Lemur template for the Remix Decks, just announced. Check it out as well, as it’s pretty comprehensive!

MASCHINE VIA MOUSECLICKS AND TOUCH OSC

There are two other significant projects that are worth checking out – first, djvc1993 has made a mapping and setup program for the Maschine that maps out the first 16 samples (four per slot) on each Remix Deck. It’s achieved via mouse actions, and is PC-only at this point. Learn more about his setup in this demo video and this how-to/setup vid.

Second, M1RFace has also set up a similar system using a TouchOSC layout on his iPad. His hack is still in the early stages as of the video’s publication, but shows great promise for iOS users who don’t want to buy Lemur for $50. See the proof of concept in this demo video!

These two hacks are pretty basic – there’s no LED feedback, and most of the advanced functions still need work, but we wanted to make sure we feature everyone who’s putting in work to make the Remix Decks work with their setup!

HACK THE F1 PROJECT

Here’s one of our favorite projects yet- Fatlimey has started a GitHub project that aims to directly allow your MIDI controller to “spoof F1 messages to Traktor, allowing full access to Traktor’s capabilities”. The project is just getting started, and needs talented coders with experience in USB-MIDI and HID device descriptors, hardware drivers on Mac or Windows, and installer packages to make the hacks simple to use. Think you’ve got what it takes?

UPCOMING MIDI MAPPING POSSIBILITIES

It’s important to note that these projects are not intended to be anti-NI in any way, but simply a creative way of getting functionality faster than scheduled. Even though there are limitations on third party hardware today Native Instruments does plan to implement full MIDI mapping controls in the future. We have no word on when it will be complete but Traktor’s engineers have informed us their priorities are:

A – Ensure that the F1 integration with 2.5 is as tight as possible (done)

B- Make updates to the controller manager first (partially done in 2.5) and then

C – Focus on creating the right controls for connecting external controllers to the Remix Decks.

We have reached out and expressed our desire to work with NI to help improve the MIDI mapping engine for all controllers moving forward!

Any news on Maschine (and the Mikro) Mk2 being used for the Remix Decks on the Mac?

saige rakoski

if i had the tsi file for the F1 i am confident i could build a map for the apc 20 or 40 . i have always wanted to do this i just don’t have the tsi

Soulicity

Any idea if there will be a way to use my Trigger Finger with the Remix Decks?!?!

DJUllsi

MidiTouch for Windows 7/8

Dave

ok i got one brief question to DjTT: Will you let us know how you did it? I for myself built a controller which i am programming to send midi, but it could send hid without a problem, too!! Can you let us know, which hid content has to be sended & received?

JBPAL

Anyone know a remix deck mapping for the launchpad?

JBPAL

Anyone know a remix deck mapping for the launchpad?

SmallChips

I’m sorry, I posted an unneccesary and not entirely accurate comparison of the midifighter and the wiimote which I’d like to retract.

Any mods on who can delete it for me please?

Sorry about that.

SmallChips

Yeah this’ll probably not make it into the comments, but this is a SHOP guys. “Please can I have something for nothing?” is probably not going to cut it.

DJTT would of course like you to buy the midighter 3D (similar functionality to a £30 wiimote remember) rather than make it easier for you to not by it. I don’t begrudge them that of course, but everyone needs to stop assuming they’re a charity.

And really “In your face NI / Two fingers p to NI” ??? Grow up. NI have dropped the ball, these people are doing themselves and you a favour. That really is all there is to it.

RawB3at

MidiFighter Pro Superknob is a sweeter version of the f1…just add some modifiers and its fine…please make it support the remix decks and ill upload a pretty sweet mapping!

MIDI D

All we need is for NI to add the drop down menus “page”, “slot” and “slot number (1-4)”. Also quant and quant value.

Dfigueroa

MIDI fighter classic please.

Erik Hausler

great work, thanks!
a musician (and hopefully a budding dj) i used to set up my own units (consisting of a monitor, a transformer and a switch) in logic to control internal synths etc. on a global level thereby avoiding setting up controllers for every new song.

in environment there’s a unit called monitor that you can insert between units. It displays whatever is passed through from devices, including pretty secret stuff like the F2 commands manufacturers use to communicate btw. the mainframe and the plugins. can be a helpful tool if you’re on a mac.

Peter

Will there be a f1- or x1-like mapping for the MF Pro? I’m thinking about buying one and that would be awesome.

And can I use ur mappings on a Novation Launchpad? At least on a quarter of it?

regards,

Peter

DJCuriosity

I would love to see, or make, a map for the APC that could run 2 remix decks across all 8 columns of buttons. It would let me keep everything else in my APC map for Traktor and get 2 remix decks.

Got the new traktor, No more sample decks unless you buy another controller. Mapping is all different also, plus I hear there are a few bugs. I think I will wait a while before upgrading on my dj computer.

Mark

It figures Ian would waste no time putting this post up. How dare NI leave his MIDi FIGHTER 3D out in the cold! Now he can sleep at night and sell a few more units.

No offense, but this site in turning into one big store. What happened ???

I agree as several have commented, launchpad would be an excellent controller for this, maybe instead of having multiple colors, since it only has three, it can have different tones or intensity settings on the leds, plus you have more than enough extra control to move up and down ;)

Launchpad has actually at leat 4 colours (green, red, orange and yellow). I’ve seen it blinking with theses colours when it was plugged to my usb hub

Shishdisma

Isn’t this kind of…. Illegal? I mean, obviously the technical hurdles NI put in were artificial, but by emulating the F1 with other firmware, arent you using code that isn’t yours, to control software against the EULA? I’m not intimately familiar with Traktor’s agreement or what layer of firmware you guys have used, but it seems like using NI’s proprietary code puts you in some legal hot water.

SmallChips

No no no no, not in the slightest bit. There’s no de-compiling or anything that compromises the code. This is not in any way a ‘hack’ of the software, just some very clever ‘bridging’.

Anonymous

Pretty grateful for these guys, keep up the good work!

Mixxing4christ

i found a way that any midi controller will work with traktor 2.5 …. here is a program that i used http://www.mediafire.com/?8twa67yj95j6w5g this is the video for it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn5torYF3Xw …. i didnt even do all the steps in this video ..all i did was run the program click my controller (korg nano) click midi in and midi out then went to traktor 2.5 clicked midi mapping hit learned and it read the midi note …oh ya

nisoundni

I tried it, it´s a good idea and it works!
BUT THE DELAY IS TOOOOO BIG, so its not very usable :-(

I have created that program and video. Normally, you dont have a delay, because it works in realtime.

E K

I don’t understand why this is now permissible but when posting about something like using non native instruments sound cards and time control I am scolded by the djtt mods. Djtt got burned because their midi fighter 3d can’t controll the remix decks and now all of a sudden this sort of ‘hacking’ is ok and even encouraged?

It looks like you guys already had integration with remix decks with idea to add RGB buttons on MF3D. Or you were just lucky ;)

DJ ForcedHand

I think it’s time for Native Instruments to make good on their promise. I don’t imagine the hardware hacks (replacing the one-color L.E.D.s with Multi-Color LEDs) will be far behind.

Once the dust has settled, I’d like to see what all has been done to remap trigger buttons on my Twitch. I would consider replacing the L.E.D.s in my controller with 3-color L.E.D.s just to get a similar experience.

DJ ForcedHand

Sorry, that second sentence was a supporting sentence for a reference to the Maschine (and/or Mikro) I had edited out. Now if only the Maschine came with tri-color LEDs and 4 up-faders… hmmm.

Dj Ion

U would think NI would make their product useable to as many professionals as they can (no matter what controller they are using), for sales if for nothing else.

SmallChips

Traktor is about £80, how much is the F1? Which would you rather sell more of? What would be your priority if you needed to release?

I am starting a website, remixdeckset.com, focused on sharing remix deck sets! Please share your remix deck sets and let us know what your are doing with this great new feature of Traktor

Pilz

Where`s the Launchpad love?

mcgb

The “remix decks functionability with an S4” problem. I don’t mind that my S4 cannot control them- the F1/other midi looks brilliant to use with them.

What i think is really disgusting customer service to their existing, already loyal users is that they have completely got RID of the sample decks. These were absolutely brilliant and one of the reasons I actually chose the S4 over other controllers. Surely it wouldnt have been too hard to leave the sample deck as an option ie “sample decks/remix decks/track decks” in the preferences. They have basically rendered one of the main functions on an expensive (and dont get me wrong, brilliant) piece of kit useless. They really need to look after their existing userbase before trying to ram down their throats the next piece of equipment. They need to be able to utilize and integrate software and hardware better. The sample decks need to be in the next (bug free?!?!?) update as an option.

I honestly think this is a step back as I would not consider purchasing more hardware with NI if it is going to be outdated / useless so quickly and i know im not the only one.
It just shows this “scheme” that the remix decks “will only work with the F1” is a break of trust- if 4 “amateurs” that do not work for NI have done it in 2 weeks then it is pretty obvious a fully functional software/midi device would be possible in a month or so.#ShootingThemselvesInTheFoot

Anonymous

Um, you can use the first layer of the remix decks just like a sample deck. The functionality is the same.

scamo

mcgb

yea i know you can play a little with the 1st slot but its far from the same….

eg take a loop from a track in deck A or B and try and put it into the sample/remix deck using the “sample play button”, it doesnt work. Used to drop straight in as a “sample”, playing at the right/same speed, being able to have the sample then running through the mix/transition to the next track, and still being able to be loading ANOTHER tack (i hope i didnt loose you in this!) while the same sample looped perfectly creating a layered in depth mix. It just isnt as smooth as it should be-also to do quick on the fly stuff you have to go into deck C or D. Also the syncs try and take over too much to mirror each sample slot.

As I say, I am totally for new tech, improved software and the ability to do all the things the F1 (and now other midis hehe)can but why should this be at a cost to someone using NI’s OWN hardware (S4 in my case) now not being able to use the software that the unit was designed for, in the way it should, and was. What I’m saying is I think it is terrible trying to force users to buy this new product when the old one did what it was meant to…..in a nutshell:

Sample decks should never have been deleted (kept as an option in preferences) and the remix decks should have been ADDED as a new, extra feature to 2.5

Anonymous

Maybe you have some issue and no you didn’t loose me. I understand perfectly what functionality you are getting at as I have used it quite often too. And the functionality of pulling in a loop from Deck A or B into a sample slot at the press of the sample play button works absolutely fine on my S4 with 2.5. Like I said, maybe you have an issue of some kind.

scamo

Tragik11

Yup, me too … no problems here with my S4 and Remix Decks.

mcgb

i dont know what it is then…as i say, i can control the REMIX decks ok, is just they do not work like the sample decks- i get a red flashing warning at the bottom saying cannot load from empty sample slot (i think they are the words used, i’m not at home near my gear!!) when i try the one touch loop grab i was mentioning before.

any suggestions from you guys would be awesome…i have tried playing around in preferences, reset to default but nothing seems to get it to the way it was. maybe a snapshot of your preferences :P? i wonder if for some reason a previous setting i had has affected what is selected in this upgrade? thnks in advance for any input!

SmallChips

They’ve changed the midi mapping for 2.5, so if you’re using a mapping from version 2 (for the sample decks) it’s not likely to work the same now. There’s nothing you could do with the sample decks that you can’t do with the remix decks, but it sounds like you need to adjust your mappings.

Awesome. I have been working on the Launchpad but I am thinking I should get a MidiFighter 3D now. That’s totally worth the money, unlike the F1.

Anonymous

ooh…really nice DJTT. I was also going to buy two F1s, but if my MF3Ds (which I have 2 coming in the mail) will also control all the samples in the mix decks, yippee! I don’t need any F1s.

Uh, oops. NI probably didn’t want to hear that…..:D

scamo

Tragik11

why not MF3D + F1 + S4 ?

Anonymous

I’m fine with my F1 – NI, could you get Advanced HID to the final stage first, please? ;-)
kthxbye

EansAPoser

Funny how obviously upset DJTT was about this matter. Too bad they won’t release it for a item they don’t profit on like Maschine or the Novation launchpad. If this website wasn’t so desperate to sell something they offer on every post, their products would be much cooler and more in demand. Great Marketing Mr Golden.

Dude they linked you to the forum. The forum is where all the interesting this are happening. I am going to be uploading sometime this weekend, fingers crossed, my Launchpad mapping for the ReMix decks.

I have now full controll with my maschine. 16 samples per slot, so 16×4 samples per deck!
So you can map your favorite controller with ALL the new features!

No

will anyone do a APC40 all in one for tracktor?

Loudist

Once Traktor 3 drops, I’d say every decent hardware manufacturer will be in a race to get something to market. My guess is the designs are already way past the drawing board stage, even now.

sturdpot

NI probably just did not want to put the ability to remap or map a controller cause most peopl would just screw it all up. Just use an f1 and you will see that it is not something most could accomplish. Really the f1 is cheap for what it does. And so is traktor. Just go buy some analog eqiuipment and studio software plus a few more controllers, cables and set it all up to do the same. You will be spend much more than traktor + an f1. The mid fighter 3d is not cheap either. Cool though.

Midi Fighter Classic has neither multi-color LED buttons nor any buttons beside the main 4×4 matrix so it is not able to control additional Shift-functionality…
The midi-fighter probably only could handle firing off the first 16 samples on one dedicated Remix Deck!

concluding that ean has posted videos showing people how to mod their midi fighter and make midi controllers on a 100 dollar budget.They dont care,they would probably find it interesting.

Michael

Please do :)

Loudist

With the greatest of respect the the redoubtable skills of those people who cracked it, I don’t want a hack – I want Native Instruments to do it properly in the first place. They told us *unreservedly* that it just wasn’t possible to map these features in the current version of Traktor – and yet, just a fortnight later, here we are. They also said that anybody who could work out how to access the full Remix Decks facility in 2.5 should submit their CV immediately.

Did anyone who believed NI when they said it wasn’t possible with third party software? This is how a company like NI functions by matter of design. They are only interested in making money. They’ll never hire the people who hacked this together and they probably wont update 2.5 to allow universal access until a year from now.

The F1 is nothing but a gimmick to get people to pay them more money. The idea that their controller is somehow unique to the countless others is a joke.

Anonymous

I’d like to think a company always tries to make their customers happy or even enthralled with their products. And if they just happen to make a ton of money doing it, then they actually deserve it.

what my engineers achieved was not a hack in any way but a direct native connection to the software through HID. It’s the same thing NI did with the F!, but it just took us longer since it had to be reversed engineered. Their skill and passion for this community is very impressive.

Oliosky

I’m super impressed with your crew hey. One it shows that you guys really know your shit and two, you don’t feel the need to tow the NI bullshit marketing line. Great stuff. Massive kudos, especially when there did seem a time when the DJTT site was a bit of an NI shop front

Dennis Parrott

Oliosky – I think you’re being a little strong here… NI is saying access to/thru HID isn’t possible because they aren’t finished developing it. Think back to the original iPhone. Apple wouldn’t let people develop code to run directly on the iPhone because it wasn’t finished — no APIs, no SDK, things were still in flux. Once the system settled down, all of tools needed came out.

Or… NI may be saying it isn’t possible because they are worried about being able to meet promised performance numbers using HID if 3rd parties start clogging the HID bus with messages and data. (After thinking about it, this may well be the reason they want to say “it isn’t possible”…)

I suspect that, unless NI is horribly brain damaged, they will eventually open things up. But that HID interface is very new for them and probably still in flux. It is going to take time.

Ean & Co. have assumed a large risk here. They now have tools depending on NI’s “good will”. It would be simple for NI to make some simple changes and break all of DJTT’s (and others) hard work. People who integrate this into their setups and routines will be bumming IF NI make a change that breaks this stuff.

NOTE: NI may break this without “evil intent” because they go in and fix some bug or performance problem. The interface through HID that DJTT and others have created may well rely on bugs or “features” that could disappear in a software update.

To Ean and Co. — we who are about to jam out salute you!

djcl.ear

What I see is the long corporate/marketing product developing road being shortcut by external technicians, whom despite the usually strong restrictions some manufacturers impose on their products, are -these days- able to CUSTOMize their acquired goods to their own liking.

I knew it wouldn’t take long when I noticed double clicking the sample decks brought the multi track view up instead of the normal 4 sample banks.

Kaltschwitz

Don’t forget to hack the Xone K2!!

celtic-dj

amazing…its about time someone responds to NI cruel marketing schemes… personally i lost trust in NI and its products.

BTW , YOU GUYS HAVE A HUGE POTENTIAL WITH THE NEW 3D MOTION SENSOR’S…i have an idea using a ‘celtic cross’ or the old ‘sextant’ technology for building a ‘base device’ to give more feedback while using the MF 3D’s sensors…

good luck and nice work bringing back the good old spirit of DJTT

someyunguy

hmmm.keep thinking friend

Sasha ua

Guys who know where i can download nice hip-hop siren sample free – like in old-school hip-hop track or in partybreak – many guys use that sound, but where are they download it? please give me a link.

Typical you will find them in mp3s labeled “dj tools” or “acapella dj tool”. Here’s some I happened to have in my sample directories… http://www15.zippyshare.com/v/62228833/file.html – you can also use a youtube downloader that converts to a audioformat and go there finding your desired sound….

Sasha ua

Man – you are genius!!! That it is! This Sound i need “Horns And Sirens Sound Effects”.
THANK YOU !!! Good Luck!

RockingClub

Great news! Looking forward to set up my Maschine in near future!

Michael_lawrence01

wow I am so glad I held off on buying the F1….as tempting as it was!….gonna wait for the maschine update…..im pumped…..#ilovehackers

Calldom

come on man, its pretty cheap..pretty sure i spent more than that on patron and hookers last night..

RockingClub

Perhaps you did. Nevertheless why should one spend additional 250 bucks needlessly when one can also have a nice party night? :)

midiRaum

hi djtt,
i’ve been studying your work for quite some time now, and of course i love it. but unfortunately the taxes when ordering from germany render the midifighter not purchasable. so if you could show, how exactly you guys did this with the mf 3d so that me and others can apply it to their controllers like the launchpad, you would really make my day.
greetz

Weltraumpapst

write an email to orders@djtechtools.com they will figure something out for you to pay less.. i bought like 4-5 times from djtt and am from germany..

Anonymous

Um, what taxes? There shouldn’t be any import taxes, because you can’t buy any such “instrument” in Germany. And at worst, you might have to pay 19% VAT, which you’d have to pay anyway, if you bought the MF3D in Germany.

scamo

Weltraumpapst

where did you get that from that you dont pay taxes if the “instrument” isnt available in germany? everything i every bought from DJTT ist not available in germany, that’s why i’m buying from them ;)

both of the comments are correct. You pay taxes, from us or from a store. With us you dont have to pay the extra margin to a store and a distributor. Lot’s of people buy from us every day from germany and we have found great ways to get them gear very affordably.

Anonymous

hi ean, did you guys heard of this kind of hack for launchpad? or is it even possible?

Anonymous

hi ean, did you guys hear about some similar hack for launchpad? is it even possible?

and you forgot a fifth project by Rainer from traktorbible. he said to release his lemur template this weekend.. according to him it will calculate the coordinates of mouse clicks dynamically, so no (or less) hassle with different resolutions

I’m sure NI isn’t happy about this but hey if you’ve got a legit copy of Traktor, they’ve already got their money from you anyway.
Well they’re missing out on your cash if the F1 hack is successful…
But if the hack is successful they might put out a software update to cripple it.
(Kind of like Apple updating to protect against jailbreaking.)

Anonymous

Ha ha …that’s why I use ableton

Lel

I lol’d harder than I should have

sturdpot

Abelton is for people who…..know how to use it and have chosen a more involed path.
Traktor and the f1 is for those who just say “beam me up scotty”

Am I A Fanboy for traktor. No I have Abelton also. But like the simplicity of traktor.

RockingClub

I think you got the core here. I’ve been a NI fanboy for a long time but you simply cannot deny Ableton offers much more functionality. Nevertheless I mainly use it for production at the moment and not for performing.

I have both too. The main downer of Ableton is the browser – no album art, no tags and it converts all your files to wav and wastes all of your disc space! Multiple waveforms would be good too – a more customisable brower, cue points and better looping features. But you get total creative freedom, choice of vsts, complete destructive and non destructive control of your clips, synths, drum machines, and every midi set you do is full editable with automation so can all is forgive.

Bastian Hertel

traktor was never “simplicity” IMHO…maybe Serato is…

Anonymous

Keeping hope alive for the universal MIDI solution…

Glad for MIDI fighter owners and EG though.

Anonymous

Yay! Midifighter is now an attack platform, not just a device.

Tragik11

I would like to thank God, my family .. but most importantly all these volunteers and community members that made this posible. :D keep it up guys, U deserve white limited edition MF3D controllers … right DJTT ?